120 likes | 321 Views
Smart cities. Background literature. The concept. Is similar or overlaps with the following discourses in urban development: Wired Digital Intelligent Creative Telecommunication based Informational Knowledge based E-governance Entrepreneurial. Why smart city labeling?.
E N D
Smart cities Background literature
The concept • Is similar or overlaps with the following discourses in urban development: • Wired • Digital • Intelligent • Creative • Telecommunication based • Informational • Knowledge based • E-governance • Entrepreneurial
Why smart city labeling? • Actual infrastructure change • Effective IT policies Or • Marketing purposes
Meanings of intelligent city • Use of a wide range of electronic and digital applications • Use of information and communication technologies • linking ICTs and people to enhance innovation, learning, knowledge and problem solving
Smart growth The concept addresses various social, ecological, spatial, and economic problems by • Use of innovative ICTs • Architectural design and planning • Creative cultural industries • Social and environmental sustainability • Citizen participation
Is it really smart? Some underlying assumptions: • IT transforms life and work within a region • Private sector will also prioritize goals of social inclusion and environmental and social sustainability
What makes a city smart? • The USA approach: • Utilization of networked infrastructure • Emphasis on business led urban development-domination of neo-liberal urban spaces “ Only private capital can supply the large amounts of money needed to meet the growing demand for smart growth developments” (Smart Growth Network, 2007)
Cont. • European interpretation of the concept adds other aspects: • E-citizenship is committed to ensuring that everyone can have access to ICTs and participate in the knowledge society • Helping entire community to go online in order to create specific services to address local objectives and advance collective skills
Cont. • Emphasize on art, digital media and culturally creative industries • Change towards environmental and social sustainability Overall, smart can mean different things to different people.
Critics of the concept • It is technologically determined • It is used as a smokescreen for ushering in the business dominated informational city • It increases polarization and gentrification in the cities • Serves multinational corporations rather than local businesses